Results 46,621-46,640 of 51,089 for speaker:Micheál Martin

Written Answers — Manufacturing and Services Sectors: Manufacturing and Services Sectors (28 Nov 2007)

Micheál Martin: My Department, in conjunction with the Enterprise Development Agencies, has taken a number of steps in recent years to identify and address issues affecting the manufacturing and services sectors particularly through implementation of the enterprise action plan arising from the Enterprise Strategy Group report and implementation of recommendations from the Small Business Forum. The 2006...

Written Answers — Manufacturing and Services Sectors: Manufacturing and Services Sectors (28 Nov 2007)

Micheál Martin: In 2004 the Enterprise Strategy Group report outlined the sectors where Ireland has considerable potential for future growth, building on existing expertise and capitalising on new opportunities in internationally-traded services, high-value manufacturing in a number of sectors and locally-trading businesses. A number of service sectors and activities were considered to offer opportunities...

Written Answers — Economic Competitiveness: Economic Competitiveness (28 Nov 2007)

Micheál Martin: There are a number of competitiveness benchmarks against which Ireland is measured. For example, the World Bank ranks Ireland as 8th out of 178 economies globally for "ease of doing business". This puts us in the top 5% of world economies in their survey. In its recently published report on global competitiveness rankings, the World Economic Forum (WEF) positioned Ireland, in 22nd position...

Written Answers — Job Creation: Job Creation (28 Nov 2007)

Micheál Martin: Employment data in enterprise agency assisted firms is collated by Forfás on an annual basis only. Accordingly data on jobs created and jobs lost in 2007 will not be available until early 2008 and in annual format only. The latest employment data published by the Central Statistics Office indicates that the numbers in employment grew by almost 68,000 in the year to Quarter 3 2007 bringing...

Written Answers — Trade Missions: Trade Missions (28 Nov 2007)

Micheál Martin: Ministerial-led Trade Missions are an integral part of our work to develop and expand Ireland's exports to existing and new markets abroad. It has been the experience of my Department and of the companies participating in such missions that the presence of a Minister enhances the opportunities for the companies involved and achieves a higher level of recognition and access to the various...

Written Answers — Job Creation: Job Creation (28 Nov 2007)

Micheál Martin: Since the beginning of 2007 IDA Ireland has made 37 new project announcements with a potential job creation figure of in excess of 3,000. It is necessary to distinguish between jobs announced and actual jobs created. There is always a timelag, often stretching over many years, between the announcement of jobs and their creation. The actual number of new jobs created in IDA supported...

Written Answers — Export Markets: Export Markets (28 Nov 2007)

Micheál Martin: Despite the difficulties posed by the decline in the exchange rate of the US Dollar against the Euro, which is outside our control, my Department and Enterprise Ireland are working to ensure that our exports to that country, which our single biggest export market, are maintained. Figures for the first 8 months of this year show that merchandise exports to the US were actually up slightly on...

Written Answers — Economic Competitiveness: Economic Competitiveness (28 Nov 2007)

Micheál Martin: The position in relation to imports and exports of Merchandise goods over the last five years is given in the following table. Data for the first eight months of 2007 show Merchandise Exports have increased by 5% over the same period in 2006 and Merchandise Imports for the same period have increased at a slower rate, i.e. 3%. For the period 2004-2006 Merchandise Imports have been rising...

Written Answers — Job Losses: Job Losses (28 Nov 2007)

Micheál Martin: Economy wide employment data are officially collected by the Central Statistics Office through, for example its Quarterly National Household Survey and Live Register analysis. Collection of these data does not however include a module on the context in which employment changes take place. The latest QNHS shows that employment grew by almost 68,000 or 3.3% in the year to the third quarter of...

Written Answers — FÁS Training Programmes: FÁS Training Programmes (28 Nov 2007)

Micheál Martin: The budget for FÁS is agreed on the basis of detailed discussions between FÁS, my Department and the Department of Finance in the context of the annual Estimates process. A budget of €1,046,861,000 was allocated to FÁS for 2007. This includes €359m in respect of Community Employment, with a view to maintaining overall numbers on the scheme and the continuation of training for...

Written Answers — Job Losses: Job Losses (28 Nov 2007)

Micheál Martin: Job losses occur for a wide variety of reasons and therefore it is not possible to quantify the actual numbers of jobs, that have been lost to more competitive economies. There are a variety of factors involved in a firm's decision to move all or part of their operations offshore. In addition to relative wage rates and other cost factors, these may include business takeovers, consolidations...

Business Regulation. (28 Nov 2007)

Micheál Martin: In March, the European Council agreed that administrative burdens arising from EU legislation should be reduced by 25% by 2012. Taking into account the different starting points and traditions, the Council invited member states to set their own national targets of comparable ambition within their spheres of competence by 2008. Prior to the Taoiseach's departure for the spring European...

Business Regulation. (28 Nov 2007)

Micheál Martin: As regards responding to the European Council's invitation to member states to set national targets, an appropriate target will be set for Ireland — we are considered to be relatively lightly regulated — after full consultation with Departments and agencies. I intend to bring that part before the Government.

Business Regulation. (28 Nov 2007)

Micheál Martin: I did not catch that last part.

Business Regulation. (28 Nov 2007)

Micheál Martin: I stated that during the previous Question Time some weeks ago. The Deputy did not hear it then, nor did he hear it now. I have made clear the way I am proceeding.

Business Regulation. (28 Nov 2007)

Micheál Martin: Yes. Due to the imposition in terms of staffing and costs, the route we are taking is more realistic and effective. The EU invited member states to have targets by 2008 and we will have begun a realistic and informed process to that effect. Anyone can set a target, but achieving the target is the key issue.

Business Regulation. (28 Nov 2007)

Micheál Martin: The audit exemption threshold, on which I took a decision last year, is estimated to save businesses between €10 million and €20 million. Research is ongoing in that respect. Through simplifying the process by which companies recover redundancy payments, we have effected a saving of approximately €1.2 million to the companies concerned. That is a global figure. Where there are clear...

Business Regulation. (28 Nov 2007)

Micheál Martin: Within the next two months.

Live Register. (28 Nov 2007)

Micheál Martin: The total number of people recorded on the live register for October is 157,449. This is a significant decrease in the numbers recorded in the previous four months of 2007. It also equals the average numbers recorded on the live register for the year in 2005 and 2006. Employment has increased by 247,300 in a three year period since 2004 and the number in employment is 2,140,900. The live...

Live Register. (28 Nov 2007)

Micheál Martin: I have given the statistics to show that the rate has fallen since this time last year. The key point is that FÁS undertakes activation measures. After three months, FÁS and the Department of Social and Family Affairs meet everybody who is on the register and offer them a variety of programmes for reorientation, training or opportunities. The macro and microeconomies are not separate....